August 28, 2011 11:37am EDTAugust 20, 2011 5:15pm EDTPrince Amukamara was a first-round pick in this year's draft. But teams preferred to throw to him instead of Alfonzo Dennard. The Husker is Russ Lande's top corner prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft.

As the NFL has evolved into a pass-happy league, only pass rushers may be more important than cornerbacks when it comes to slowing down passing games. Here’s a breakdown of the 10 best draft prospects at cornerback heading into the college season:

1. Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska. Dennard (5-9¾, 204) may lack great size, but his status as an elite prospect was supported by how opponents attacked the Nebraska defense last season. In the games I evaluated, they preferred to throw at Prince Amukamara, a first-round pick of the Giants, than at Dennard. He has elite quickness and combined with his great agility, he has consistently shown the ability to close explosively on passes despite not always using good footwork. He has shown the ability to excel in all types of coverage, but his aggressiveness and desire to make plays lead to him bite on play fakes, which allows receivers to get behind him at times. Dennard pulled a leg muscle recently and could end up missing Nebraska’s season opener. Projection: First-round pick

2. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama. A junior who could enter the draft, Kirkpatrick (6-2, 205) has rare quickness, athleticism and speed for a corner over 6 feet. He has excellent agility, tremendous quickness and the ability to flip his hips and stay with receivers off the line from a press alignment. He has the speed to stay with any receiver in man coverage, but he will have some issues in zone and off coverage because he doesn’t have the ability to transition out of his backpedal like a smaller cornerback. Projection: First-round pick

3. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama. Jenkins (5-9 7/8, 176) is an elite athlete who was a productive starter at Florida before being dismissed for off-field issues. Though he doesn’t have ideal height, the bigger on-field problem is his lack of bulk and strength. That allows receivers to get off the line against his press and to push off and create separation too easily. No one doubts that Jenkins has the elite physical talent to be a good starting cornerback in the NFL, but to become a high pick, he’ll have to convince teams he won’t be a problem off the field. Projection: Second-round pick

4. Brandon Boykin, Georgia. Brandon Boykin (5-9½, 181) is an explosive cornerback who jumps off film with his aggressive playing style and willingness to make hard hits in spite of his size. He is a technically sound corner who has the quickness and agility to close quickly from zone or off coverage and can cover receivers all over the field in man-to-man. He has long arms for his size, enabling him to break up more passes than most cornerbacks his size. He is also a dangerous kickoff returner. Projection: Second-round pick

5. Shaun Prater, Iowa. Prater (5-9¾, 181) clearly has the quick feet and quick, compact backpedal that NFL teams want, but he is a frustrating prospect because he does not transition quickly out of his backpedal. He tends to pause on his back foot for a beat, which leaves him a beat late getting to the receiver. Although he does a good job of trailing receivers in tight man coverage, he is still a beat late reacting to the ball at times, which leads us to believe he may not have high-level instincts. If he can improve his read-and-react ability, he will shoot up draft boards. Projection: Third-round pick

6. Leonard Johnson, Iowa State. Johnson (5-10, 194) is a good all-around athlete who will be a fourth-year starter in 2011. He is coming off a stellar junior season in which he evolved from a solid cornerback who made a lot of tackles after the catch to one who broke up passes and made plays. Despite his lack of ideal size, he shows no fear at stepping up and tackling bigger ballcarriers and is very willing to be physical with receivers. He has the ball skills, toughness and athleticism to move up draft boards if he continues to develops as a playmaker. Projection: Third-round pick

7. Chase Minnifield, Virginia. Chase Minnifield, whose father, Frank, was a Pro Bowl cornerback with the Browns, has the height, long arms, man coverage ability and ball skills to be very effective making plays on the ball. Minnifield (6-0, 187) really shined in 2010 when he became a starter and displayed better ability to break up or intercept passes. He has very good hands and inherited his father’s gritty style, which helps him to stay with receivers despite not showing elite explosiveness or speed. Projection: Third-round pick

8. Micah Pellerin, Hampton. Pellerin (6-0, 187) is this year's elite athlete from a small school who is on the radar of every NFL team. He has a rare combination of good height, long arms, tremendous athleticism and top-end speed. Pellerin needs to improve his footwork so he can make a quicker transition out of his backpedal to close on the ball. He also needs to add bulk and strength to handle NFL receivers, who excel at pushing off cornerbacks to create space. Projection: Third- or fourth-round pick

9. Donnie Fletcher, Boston College. Donnie (6-0, 3/8, 190) is a tall corner with good ball skills and solid athletic ability. He is not a top athlete and lacks explosive closing ability and top-end speed. But he is very smart, uses good technique and has excellent instincts and awareness, which help him to be consistently productive covering all but the fastest receivers and make plays on the ball. Though he is a willing tackler, he is not the type of corner who breaks up passes with hard hits after the catch. Projection: Fourth-round pick

10. Omar Bolden, Arizona State. Bolden (5-10, 3/8, 198) is a very quick, agile cornerback who is at his best in off or zone coverage. He does an excellent job of reading the quarterback and pass, transitions out of his backpedal quickly to close on the ball and has the ball skills to break up passes. He is not as effective when he has to flip his hips to turn and run with receivers in man coverage. He loses a step and does not recover in time to make a play on the ball. In spring camp, he suffered a severe knee injury that will cause him to miss the 2011 season. Although he likely could get a medical redshirt for 2011, there are reports that he intends to enter the draft. Projection: Fourth- or fifth-round pick